Jane's Midlife Journey

Just across Poole Harbour on the outskirts of Swanage is Durlston Country Park; a park and nature reserve in the grounds of a castle. Durlston Castle sits perched on the cliff top overlooking Durlston Bay with stunning coastal views.

How to get to Durlston Country Park

From Bournemouth there are two main ways to reach Durlston Country Park. The shortest is 12 miles long and involves taking the Sandbanks Ferry from Sandbanks across the mouth of Poole Harbour. The ferry costs £5.20 each way for cars or £1 return for bikes and pedestrians. The longer way is to drive round Poole Harbour along the A350/A351; a journey of 27 miles. By bus, the No 50 Purbeck Breezer runs between Bournemouth and Swanage (usually via the ferry). From the final bus stop, it is around a 25 minute walk to Durlston.

Parking

There is a paid parking on site, costing £2 for an hour (£6.50 per day) between April and October.

Opening Times

The Country Park and car parks are open from sunrise until sunset all year round. The Visitor Centre at Durlston Castle is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm (4 pm between November and March).

Price

The only charges at Durlston Country Park are the parking fees.

History

The castle was built in 1887 for local businessman George Burt. He had plans to built an estate here, with the castle operating as the restaurant. He also commissioned a number of features throughout the grounds, including a 40 ton limestone Giant Globe.

Visitor Centre

There is a Visitor Centre with displays and a shop. Rangers are on hand to provide up-to-date information about wildlife sightings and events.

Café

There is a café inside the castle with indoor seating as well as seating on a terrace overlooking the sea.

Gallery

There is an art gallery in a modern extension on the ground floor of the castle. Exhibits change regularly. When we visited, they were between exhibits, so there was nothing to see.

Clifftop Trails

There are four waymarked Trails, three of which start and finish at the castle:

Woodland Trail

The gentle, well surfaced Woodland Trail is 0.6 miles long. It leads you through the historic Durlston Pleasure Grounds and has superb views. 

Wildlife Trail

The 1.2 mile long Wildlife Trail runs through rolling downs and meadows.

Clifftop Trail

The Clifftop Trail is a 0.6 mile long circular walk. It has a steep downhill section at the start and a steepish climb at the end. It takes in seabird colonies and offers spectacular views of Old Harry and the Isle of Wight.

Victorian Trail

The Victorian Trail takes you to Swanage and back.

Parkrun

Our main motivation to travelling to Durlston Country Park was to run (and I use the term very loosely) parkrun. A newish addition to the parkrun family, Durlston is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the toughest. But the hard work climbing the steep paths is rewarded with breath-taking views of the Purbecks and beyond.

Park Yoga

On Sunday mornings, there is free Park Yoga in the castle grounds at 9.30 am (summers only).

Durlston Country Park for Children

There are activities for children to do at locations along the trails. You can hire a Woodland Explorer Rucksack (£4 for a half day) to augment these activities. There is also a Play Trail.

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

• Updated: September 2023